Here are 6 Ways to Become a Volunteer Magnet—and get your volunteers to stick around!

1. Watch your language

A healthy environment for volunteers is saturated with verbal honor—regular, specific praise for what they’re doing. In his book TheTop Ten Mistakes Leaders Make, Hans Finzel says, “Organizational researchers have been telling us for years that affirmation motivates people much more than financial incentives, but we still don’t get it.”

2. Listen more intensely

Author Stephen Covey borrowed this from St. Francis of Assisi: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Next to physical survival, says Covey, “the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival—to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated.” He adds that when you listen carefully to another person, you give that person “psychological air.” Once you’ve met that need, the door is open for you to influence and problem-solve. If you don’t meet that need, the door will remain closed.

3. Lead from the big picture

Your job isn’t to serve your volunteers—it’s to serve God! In the soon-to-be-classic book On Being a Servant of God, author Warren Wiersbe says, “Ministry isn’t easy, but you make it more difficult for yourself if you serve people instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. You can’t please everybody, so don’t even try. Just live and work in such a way that your Master will be able to say, ‘You are my beloved servant in whom I am well pleased.’ “ I think this is great advice! And when you practice it, you’ll draw your volunteers away from niggling concerns and into a much bigger mission.

4. Love by your actions

Communicate love to your volunteers by respecting their time. How often have we asked them to show up early only to have them sit around? Doug Fields has a great insight into this: “Could you use 10 hands-on volunteers immediately? How about 20? If you answered yes, what would these leaders do in your ministry? Unless you can assign leaders specific responsibilities with meaning and purpose, they will lose interest and be ineffective. Good leaders don’t want to waste their time standing around.”

Another way to demonstrate your love is to stay committed to difficult volunteers. When you face problem people with respect and courage, you greatly improve the environment for all your volunteers.

5. Laugh a lot

Years ago when Kathy, my wife, and I (and most of our volunteers) were childless, we went out with our ministry team for dessert on most Friday nights for a little post-event fellowship. We had only one rule: no shop talk. Kathy had to regularly remind me of the rule to keep me from turning fun time into an extension of training time. Over the years, I’ve realized how right she was. In fact, once kids came along, we kept the tradition going by getting together with volunteers for date nights. The new tradition was to put names of restaurants into a hat, then pick one for appetizers, one for dinner, and one for dessert. Those nights were highlights for our team, mainly because we laughed hard.

6. Let go of some of your real responsibilities

Nothing frustrates volunteers more than shoddy delegation or excessive supervision. When you delegate, give specific guidelines and expectations. But don’t equate “specific” with claustrophobic oversight. You show confidence in their ability and character when you show them what to do, answer their questions, then step back and let them do it.

Sue Brage worked in nonprofit marketing and communications for more than nine years before joining Group Publishing as Online Publisher and Editor for Church Volunteer Daily.com. Her experience as a writer, editor, and volunteer coordinator (not to mention wife and mother) gives her a unique perspective and ability to encourage and help leaders. She has a big heart for people and great passion for helping others serve their churches and communities better. Follow Sue on Twitter and @SueBrage and @CVCDaily

We love our volunteer leaders and volunteers and are always impressed with the new and creative ways they use VolunteerSpot's time-saving coordiantion tool. Here's a best practice Volunteer Sign Up Orientation video from the good folks at Glendora United Methodist Church in California.

Wow! What terrific time and attention went into creating this video! Please notice how they:

Created custom sign-up buttons for their website. (We give you standard buttons that look like this:

Volunteers come from all walks of life, and today were pleased to recognize our VolunteerSpot community serving in their places of worship.

Please welcome our guest Sue Brage, editor of Church Volunteer Daily. Twice a month she'll be sharing best practices and fresh ideas that make volunteering with your faith community (or school or nonprofit) even more fun and rewarding. Today's article is on the importance of including people of all ages and walks of life in your organization's service efforts.

Contestants Wanted for the next Volunteer Leader Challenge!

In the Volunteer Leader Challenge, the latest reality show, contestants will maneuver their way through an entire year serving in their local churches. Their objective? To recruit and train volunteers to serve in every position imaginable without losing their sanity…or any kids, keys, volunteers, or the approval of senior leadership and quite possibly, the entire congregation, who will be voting! They must coordinate VBS, plan snacks to exclude every possible food allergy, line up 30 nursery helpers, while at the same time, helping children discover the love of God. It will be a wild ride, and at the end—there will be one champion volunteer leader left standing.

Ok, there is no such reality show. (You were ready to call, weren’t you?) Still, in reality, many of us have taken on positions or projects without fully knowing what we are getting into, and then once we figure it out—it’s too late, the challenge has begun! Over our years of working with church volunteer leaders, three prevailing challenges have emerged...

1. Finding (and keeping) committed volunteers

This comes as no surprise to any one who has ever worked with volunteers. The lesson is if we put either of these tasks on cruise control, we will make our jobs harder in the long run. To master this challenge we must always watch for fresh ideas and approaches for recruiting, training, and recognizing our volunteers.

2. Getting everything done

As we’ve listened to those in ministry, it’s obvious that most of them feel stretched too thin and pulled in too many directions. Balancing church and family, doing vs. delegating, babysitting instead of leading. There is a constant tug-of-war going on for our priorities, our brains, our time, and even our emotions.

I think the first step to mastering this challenge is to understand that even the most “balanced” leader has to continually realign his or her priorities, focus, and time commitments. You need a solid sounding board to help you let go of unrealistic expectations, set proper boundaries, and give yourself a well-deserved break once in a while.

3. Dealing with conflict (and a myriad of other communication issues)

I love C.H. Spurgeon’s quote: The day we find the perfect church, it becomes imperfect the moment we join it. Humans are an imperfect—and difficult—lot. Overcoming this hurdle will require prayer, patience, and loads of grace. It will also require the ability to communicate with others in a positive way, even when dealing with negative issues.

While the idea of this reality show is completely fictional, these three main challenges are very real. As you continue serving, growing, and facing these obstacles head on, I believe God will reward you in a far greater way than you could ever imagine. And the biggest reward will be knowing you are helping touch lives and make people’s lives better for the cause of Christ.

Banner Ad: For ideas on how to keep more volunteers for longer, download Church Volunteer Daily’s free report filled with volunteer appreciation ideas.

Sue Brage worked in nonprofit marketing and communications for more than nine years before joining Group Publishing as Online Publisher and Editor for Church Volunteer Daily.com. Her experience as a writer, editor, and volunteer coordinator (not to mention wife and mother) gives her a unique perspective and ability to encourage and help leaders. She has a big heart for people and great passion for helping others serve their churches and communities better. Follow Sue on Twitter and @SueBrage and @CVCDaily

We're pleased to recognize our VolunteerSpot community serving in their places of worship.

Please welcome our guest Sue Brage, editor of Church Volunteer Daily. Twice a month she'll be sharing best practices and fresh ideas that make volunteering with your faith community (or school or nonprofit) even more fun and rewarding. Today's article is on the importance of including people of all ages and walks of life in your organization's service efforts.

7 Quick Tips for Fostering Multi-Generational Service

By Sue Brage

“How can we get the next generation more engaged in service?”

“Are there ways to encourage the generations to work together?”

“What is the best way to ensure that all age groups feel included and important to the mission of the church?”

These are some of the questions we’ve been hearing lately…and discussing as a team. I don’t think there is any “magic” one-size-fits-all answer. However, I think there are some simple things a church can do to create a church that welcomes and equips believers of every age!

1. Talk to them It’s surprising how much time we can spend trying to figure out how to engage a certain group, young parents, “senior saints” and especially the younger generation…all without actually talking to them. It’s amazing what you can learn when you ask questions and let them have input.

2. Include them To segue from point one, including a variety of age groups on your planning committees, worship committees, or any other committee will create a deeper bond and investment on their part, which is really what you are after.

3. Invite them Make it a point to personally invite people of every age group to your events. Don’t assume because they read it in the bulletin or see it on the big screen they will feel welcome. However, if you actually tell them you would love to have them at your next event, and even ask them to help; you may be surprised at the response.

4. Connect them Consider this the buddy system for your church. When you invite someone new to help or attend an event, plan ahead and connect them with someone of a similar age group, season of life, or interest level. This may sound like a lot of effort on your part, but it will be worth it. A simple introduction can get people talking and feeling like they belong.

5. Affirm them No matter how old or young we are, we need affirmation that our contributions are valuable. Be sure each person you talk to knows how important they are to your ministry and why you would love to see them get more involved. Say things like, “Your wisdom will be a special blessing to the young families.” OR “I appreciate the passion and energy you bring!” Being specific and personal lets them know you are sincere.

6. Train them Training communicates value to your volunteers. It shows them you value their gifts enough to help them grow; and it shows you value their role in the church. Don’t make the mistake of assuming the older generation knows what they are doing, or that the younger one doesn’t.

7. Release them Let each person serve from their own unique gifts, experience, and style. Recognize that you may approach things differently than someone from a different generation. That does not mean you are right and they are wrong! Have grace toward them, certainly correcting when necessary, but allow for generational differences and welcome the fresh, unique flair they bring to your ministry.

Sue Brage worked in nonprofit marketing and communications for more than nine years before joining Group Publishing as Online Publisher and Editor for Church Volunteer Daily.com. Her experience as a writer, editor, and volunteer coordinator (not to mention wife and mother) gives her a unique perspective and ability to encourage and help leaders. She has a big heart for people and great passion for helping others serve their churches and communities better. Follow Sue on Twitter and @SueBrage and @CVCDaily

We're pleased to recognize our VolunteerSpot community serving in their places of worship. From organizing the hospitaly committee serving coffee and donuts each Sunday, to special services for High Holy Days, to service projects like flood relief and meals ministry, to fun events like parish carnivals and VBS - in faith communities volunteer leaders are most often volunteers themselves.

Please welcome our guest Sue Brage, editor of Church Volunteer Daily. Twice a month she'll be sharing best practices and fresh ideas that make volunteering with your faith community (or school or nonprofit) even more fun and rewarding. Today's article was originally posted on Church Volunteer Daily, and we loved it so much, we thought it a great way to kick off our new series.

Don't Serve Stale Donuts

By Sue Brage

Can I challenge your thinking a little today? There are some simple things you can do to freshen up your ministry. However, before I share those, let’s lay a foundation for why improvements and “tweaks” will benefit your church, your ministry, and your volunteer team.

You may be asking yourself, why bother changing something that works? I understand. You may also be thinking, why spend money for no reason. I also get that. However, there are many things you can do to refresh your ministry, by making some simple tweaks and updates…and without breaking the bank.

To clarify, I’m not just talking about building and grounds updates. You may need to refresh your programs, your training events, how you serve coffee and donuts. Every area of ministry can get stale from time to time (even the donuts!) It’s wise to make improvements when you can to keep things fresh and moving forward.

I believe there are three reasons church volunteer leaders (and church leadership as a whole) should work to keep things fresh…

New creates momentum. This is a leadership principle that holds true in a church setting. If you want to create a buzz, do something new in your ministry. Paint the walls. Organize the library or storage room. Plan a new program or event. Even the smallest action can create a buzz! And this buzz will create energy, momentum, and excitement.

Attention communicates respect. This principle is true in every area of our lives, from our cars, to our houses, to our relationships, and most certainly to our churches. Caring for what we have shows that we respect what God has given us. And caring for our ministries shows that we respect the position he has placed us in…and the people He’s called us to serve.

Your actions show what you truly value. Now, if you are thinking of updating your environment, does this mean you value your building? Well, in a way yes. But even more, it shows that you value the people in your church and those you serve with.

I hope this gives you something to think about that will help you will identify an area or two in your ministry that could use to be updated.

Sue Brage worked in nonprofit marketing and communications for more than nine years before joining Group Publishing as Online Publisher and Editor for Church Volunteer Daily.com. Her experience as a writer, editor, and volunteer coordinator (not to mention wife and mother) gives her a unique perspective and ability to encourage and help leaders. She has a big heart for people and great passion for helping others serve their churches and communities better. Follow Sue on Twitter and @SueBrage and @CVCDaily

Congregation Beth Emeth is a welcoming and dynamic Conservative Jewish congregation serving Western Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun counties in Northern Virginia. Beth Emeth encourages a sense of ownership and belonging that includes learning, participation and volunteerism.

Today, our VolunteerSpotlight shines on Ted Benjamin, who uses VolunteerSpot to coordinate volunteer ushers during the High Holy Days.

I am a member of Congregation Beth Emeth which is a Jewish Conservative Synagogue in Herndon Virginia. For several years, I have organized the ushering signup for the Jewish High Holiday services at our Synagogue. Our High Holidays consist of several days of extensive prayer and reflection over many hours in which essentially the entire synagogue membership attends. The usher volunteers are situated throughout the Synagogue Building and help maintain an environment that enhances the prayer and spiritual experience. I am responsible for filling up more than 150 time/location usher spots to congregation members.

How did you get started as a volunteer leader?

I had been volunteering as an usher for several years and when the former organizer was looking for a replacement, I volunteered to take over this leadership role.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

Before using VolunteerSpot, we used a signup on our synagogue web site which was non-real time. There were many scheduling conflicts, and this system required constant monitoring and involved hours of manual spreadsheet manipulation. This past year, our website manager suggested VolunteerSpot which turned out to be great advice. VolunteerSpot eliminated schedule conflicts and greatly reduced my time and efforts. The website made it easy for everyone to sign-up and to see instantaneously what slots were available. The process was automatic, alleviating many hours of tedious spreadsheet maintenance and back-and-forth emails.

What’s one piece of advice you have for other volunteers out there?

I find that the key to a great volunteering experience is not only to successfully complete the assigned task but also to do it in way that treats each person with whom you interact with compassion, caring and respect....and be as friendly and helpful as possible.

We salute Ted and all the volunteer coordinators out there, making a difference in your community. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at VS@volunteerspot.com.

Many churches and faith groups across the country have adopted safety restrictions that require volunteers working with children to have attended training and be at least 16 years of age. While this may make it more difficult for younger kids to get involved, it definitely shouldn't keep them from it. Lynda Freeman, author of the blog: About the Children's Department, shares her ideas on how to make sure that kids are getting as many chances as possible to volunteer.

Ideas for Helping Children Under the Age of 16 Serve

By Lynda Freeman

I understand implementing a minimum age of 16 as a requirement for serving in all areas of your children's ministry is a controversial and difficult step to take for many, if not most, churches. However; if we are serious about doing all we can to make our children's ministries the safest place we can, it is necessary. This doesn't mean that young teens can not serve in our churches, it just means we need to be creative and intentional in engaging them in areas where they can serve! Consider some of the following ideas for helping young teens develop a positive history and experience serving in their own church.

Invite young teens to be part of a "Children's Ministry Prep Team". Most curriculum resources include activities which require making copies, picking up supplies from the store, gathering supplies and in our preschool ministries, cutting out craft items. Involve these young teens in preparing these resources and you will not only be giving them an opportunity to be involved in your children's ministry, but you will also be providing a service to your volunteers as well.

Young teens often want to help in the nursery, but they are just not old enough to do so. Consider involving them as part of your "Nursery Prep Team" and provide an adult to supervise a time before or after mid-week ministry where they clean the toys and place them in baskets for each service. This will help you keep your nursery as safe as possible and give these teens an opportunity to serve the young families in your church!

It is important that we put in place a plan to let the children in our ministries know they are loved and if they are absent, we noticed. Involve young teens in your children's ministry by inviting them to be part of your "Children's Ministry Connections Team". These children will meet after services on Sunday and check the attendance lists. If there is a child who is absent, they will be sure to send them a card. If there is a child who has a birthday, again the will send a card. If you have a visitor, once again, these young teens will send a "we are so glad you visited us" card. This again gives these kids a way to serve and helps your children's ministry communicate to the children in it that they are valued - outside of class!

I love supporting and encouraging volunteers! Consider inviting young teens to be a part of your "Volunteer Surprise Team"! Meet with these teens once a month to plan a "surprise" to support, encourage and thank your volunteers . . . you might plan to have volunteers stand in the service while the pastor prays for them and their ministry and then have your "Volunteer Surprise Team" present each volunteer with a daisy one month and another month you might have them visit each class with a brief "singing telegram"! Use your imagination and have fun with this - not only will it give you another way to involve young teens in your church, but it will support and encourage your volunteers as well!

You are only limited by your imagination when it comes to finding ways for young teens to serve in your church. Working directly with children is not the only way for these teens to be involved. Provide these types of opportunities for young teens to serve and then when they turn 16, invite them to be trained and serve as a volunteer working with the children!

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Lynda has 40 years of experience working in Children's Ministry. She has served as children's director for churches with congregations of 100- 1600 people, so she understands first-hand the needs of Children's Ministries in many settings. Lynda is an opinion leader in Children’s ministry and has been a consultant or contributor to Gospel Light, Group and ZonderKidz/Big Idea, ZonderKidz/Promiseland, Children’s Ministry Magazine, VeggieTales Connections Preschool Curriculum and Children's Ministry Magazine and Your Church Magazine. Read her popular blog, About the Children’s Department, and follow on facebook.

When Sarah was a freshman I told her I thought she was bored; that the towers of the university were too narrow for her. That was before she traveled to New Orleans to do Katrina relief; before the following spring when she organized her peers to work on the California/Mexico border; before she decided to join Teach For America, and before she organized a service trip – was it to Central America? – with her inner-city high school students. She is certainly not bored anymore. She tells me there is too much work to do.

According to Jewish tradition, “It is not for you to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it.” Our mystics believe every soul born into this world represents something new and unique.

We each have distinct gifts that we are called to direct toward repairing our world.

It is our job as Jews to discern where the intersection between the world’s great needs and our individual talents rest, and to dedicate and rededicate our lives to that work — be it the work of easing suffering, improving literacy or welcoming the stranger. Indeed, the mystics go on to say, it is precisely because this is not done that the world is yet to be redeemed. As if to drive the point home, a first century sage, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said, “If you happen to be planting a tree and someone says the Messiah has arrived, you should finish planting the tree and then go out to greet the Messiah.”

We are told, we will do and then we will hear. Often times it is not until we are working with the homeless that we begin to understand the social dynamics leading to homelessness. It isn’t until we have tutored in an inner-city school that we can even start to comprehend the challenges students face.

It is in the doing that we come to hear, and in the hearing that we come to understand; understand that while our work may never be complete, as Jews we are never allowed to sit quietly on the sidelines and ignore life’s biggest social challenges. Sure the Messiah may have arrived but she will have to wait because I am busy combating global warming — now pass me that shovel.

Judaism is a tradition that very much concerns itself with our actions in this world and not the next. How am I treating the person next to me? What am I doing to contribute right now? These values are not placed in the context of mere suggestions or good ideas; they are framed as commandments. And extraordinary things can be accomplished when one feels commanded. Our political or religious differences do not matter.

Even if we don’t fully understand the nuances of the topic, what is important is that we do…and then we will hear. And in the doing and the hearing we may begin to feel the command to serve the person in need before us and the image of the Divine that is reflected in their face.

“We are here to make a difference,” says Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. “To mend the fractures of the world, a day at a time, an act a time, for as long as it takes to make it a place of justice and compassion. Where the lonely are not alone, the poor are not without help; where the cry of the vulnerable is heeded and those who are wronged are heard. ‘Someone else’s physical needs are my spiritual obligation.’” And I promise you, you will be too busy to be bored.

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Rabbi Will Berkovitz is Vice President of Partnerships and Rabbi in Residence for Repair the World. An ordained rabbi from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, he is the former rabbi and executive director of Hillel at the University of Washington and Jconnect Seattle. Rabbi Will currently lives in Seattle with his wife Lelach, and their sons Nativ and Idan.

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This post originally appeared on the HandsOn Blog as a guest post from WeRepair.org. Visit the HandsOn Blog to find all sorts of information and relevant topics for people interested in making a difference and being the change they want to see in the world.

On Faith and Sisterhood

The power of congregation and sisterhood creates a strong bond for women across the globe and practicing all types of religions. You don’t need to be an anthropologist to recognize that women are especially hard-wired for supporting and cultivating communities of other like-minded women.

Women’s groups at church and other religious organizations create a sense of belonging and encourage additional participation while reinforcing each person’s self worth. Many women’s faith groups involve various forms of volunteering and service to the congregation and beyond — from fundraising to send kids to vacation bible schools and camps, to rallying the troops to help serve a funeral meal to a bereaved family, to rounding up warm coats and school supplies for children in the local community.

If you have participated in a group effort with the women in your church, you know you gain more than just a good time spent with friends. Wisdom, shared experiences, inspiration and all kinds of parenting pearls are your reward for an afternoon in service with fellow sisters – I love the hours spent with friends doing good works.

Recently I organized an event for my church women’s group. The goal was simply to spend an evening getting to know each other a little better while learning a few fun, new skills. We called it a ‘Let’s Go Back To School’ event.

We met in ‘homeroom’ where everyone was given notebooks, pencils and a ‘schedule’. Our first class was Computers, we learned about our church’s new online system to look up information about the congregation, the activity calendar and list of phone numbers. Second we had an old fashioned ‘Home Ec’ class, where we watched the teacher demonstrate sewing a simple skirt. Then we headed off to ‘Seminary’ for a scripture chase competition. And we ended with ‘P.E.’ of course, where we learned to Zumba!

Dinner was called school lunch and served ‘cafeteria style’ complete with cafeteria trays, boxes of chocolate milk and hairnet clad servers.

It was a great evening and lots of fun, with the campy theme. However it was also a lot of work. There were 4 and 5 different instructors helping with each of the classes. And nearly 10 different people helping with the food preparation and set up. I didn’t have to do all the work but I did volunteer to organize it all.

Using VolunteerSpot was a great way to help alleviate the administrative work of planning a church event. Volunteers signed up to help on an online sign up sheet and VolunteerSpot sent automated confirmation and reminder messages to keep everyone organized. Even for my less techy members (yes, some still don’t have email), I was able to give them assignments manually and VolunteerSpot reminded me to give them a call when it was time for them to send in their potluck dish! Easy as ABC.

I proudly honor that special bond of women and faith and know that VolunteerSpot has my back when comes to organizing all our good works.

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In a former life, Carissa Rogers was a molecular biologist. In her current life, she is the chief researcher of parenting dos (and some don’ts), new recipes, and for spice she pretends to be a photographer. She publishes her good & crazy thoughts onGoodNCrazy.com. She has 3 crazy kids and one good husband. Find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Millennials may not be the most articulate generation, but we are the most aware. We may seem to have ADD, but really, we’re just overly observant. We may talk in “tweet” or “text” acronyms, but really, it’s just further evidence of how connected we are and how quickly we move. Time is precious and we can’t afford to literally say “by the way,” so we just leave it at “BTW.”

But we’re smarter than we sound and more interested than we look. Believe it or not, we’re listening in church and we remember your campaign. Our lack of action and commitment isn’t because we didn’t understand you; it’s because we don’t truly believe you need us. We’re not whole-heartedly convinced that you want our help, insight, and youth to feed your cause.

There are some who do though. And we love them. Why? Because they believe we can truly help save the world. And who doesn’t want to feel like a superhero?

Take for instance, any of the following organizations (*these organizations are examples of strategy and messaging and not necessarily endorsed by The Resonate Group)

Invisible Children – The only qualification one needs to be a member of this global movement to end the war in northern Uganda is that they be passionate about justice and willing to use whatever outlet they have at their disposal to educate their peers.

Charity Water – A $20 donation through Charity Water can afford a family living in poverty clean, safe water for 20 years. Never underestimate a Millennial’s ability to judge an organization’s fiscal responsibility either. Charity Water boldly states that 100% of their charitable gifts go to providing water to people who don’t have it, and they’re overhead and administrative costs are covered by private investors. Millennials don’t have a lot of money, we want it to go entirely to the cause.

Mocha Club – “Mocha Club Director, Barrett Ward, was leading a trip of college students to Africa in 2004, and realized the frustration among many young people today who feel marginalized by their perceived inability to make an impact…” So what did they do? They proved people wrong by starting an organization that asks for no more than $7 a month and through that, changes lives all over the continent of Africa. For $7 a month, the price of two mochas, Millennials have overcome the stigma that age matters.

Why am I stating the obvious? Because I don’t see churches and religiously affiliated organizations catching the drift that ... Read the full article

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About Meredith

I recently realized that my life is somewhat of a beautiful mess. A “pollack-type-picture” if you will, of colors, experiences, and people that, despite the seeming disarray, is captivating & confusing; patterened & yet unpredictable. But most of all, it is mysteriously designed, purposed, and appointed. For what? I don’t know yet… but I’m learning as I go.

It’s always heartwarming and inspiring to see the creative ways VolunteerSpot is put to use. During the holiday season, it’s especially so.

We wanted to highlight some simple sign up sheets that make it easy to ask for help during the holidays. Whether you’re organizing a class giving tree or holiday party, a community meal or toy drive with your congregation, a coat drive or 5K with a local nonprofit, or helping neighbors and friends in need -- asking for help lowers your holiday stress level and gives others an opportunity to feel (really) good as they can easily contribute to your good work.

Church Management Software and Volunteer Coordination

Icon Systems and VolunteerSpot have partnered to provide churches a total solution for volunteer coordination and church management.

VolunteerSpot saves time and makes it easy to schedule, sign up and remind volunteers. VolunteerSpot can be used by ANYONE, church leaders and congregation volunteers, to organize signups for activities ranging from hospitality committee to parking attendants, liturgy to ushers, VBS to Christmas productions, ministry meals to Sunday school snacks, festival fundraisers to community service projects. Please take a live or video tour of VolunteerSpot today!

About Icon Systems Software:

For more than 18 years, Icon Systems has been developing high-quality software for non-profit organizations. The company was founded in 1992 by Robert Gifford (President), who previously headed research and development for Great Plains Software and helped create Great Plains Accounting and Dynamics, two highly popular accounting software systems. Icon Systems' software is currently used by thousands of non-profits nationwide. Since its founding, Icon Systems has become legendary for its commitment to high-quality products as well as outstanding service and support. To find out more please visit Icon Systems. Visit Icon Systems.

Calling all schools, churches and community groups - pumpkin patches are fun and can be highly profitable fundraisers. Whether you're planning a one-weekend event or a month-long pumpkin festival, well-organized volunteers are a key success-ingredient and VolunteerSpot's free online sign up sheets makes it easy coordinate the help you need quickly and easily!

1. Find a pumpkin supplier. Try and stay local, call farms within a few hours radius and talk to your grocery store managers. Nothing close by? That’s ok, many suppliers deliver! Below is a list of major vendors to help you get started.

2. Find a location for your pumpkin patch with high visibility and ample parking. The size will vary depending on the size of the organization your fundraising for, but good places to start are parking lots in busy areas, church lawns, or a school yard. Check out the competition too; look to start your new pumpkin patch in a well-traficed area far from other sales.

3. Promote your pumpkin patch with clever signs, flyers, and notices on websites such as Craigslist, and school, church and local family newspapers and publications.

4. Plan for volunteers to help with all aspects of the pumpkin patch fundraiser such as site prep, unloading, promoting the sale (see #3 above), pumpkin sales, additional entertainment options, concessions, and site cleanup. Hint: VolunteerSpot's free online volunteer scheduler and automated reminders make coordinating volunteers a breeze.

"For each of the past 13 years, our church sells pumpkins and hosts a fall festival. We need about 600 volunteer slots and unload 3 semi-trailers of pumpkins! What's amazing is with VolunteerSpot we have about 75% of our volunteer slots covered, and we haven't even unloaded our first truck of pumpkins! This has never happened before." ~ Brian B, Austin TX

That’s all there really is to it, but if you want to make even more money and enhance the experience, try some of these great additions:

Trick Out your Pumpkin Patch. Make the location itself stand out with lights, Fall/Halloween décor, music and large visible signs.

Add More Revenue Opportunities! Once you have visitors on site, find more ways for them to spend money during your fundraiser. Try adding a face painting station, a petting zoo, a photo area with hay bales for the backdrop, pumpkin carving services, a corn or hay bale maze, a fresh-farm produce stand, or even have a side booth hosting a bake sale or other concessions.

Picking the right day and time is also very important! Make sure to check your local weather so it’s not too cold, and do it at a time when people are usually outside like Friday after school or on Saturday.

Partner with a large event to build buzz and traffic. Hold your pumpkin patch along with or near another large event like a school carnival, parish festival or community concert or race.

Here are a few pumpkin distributors to get you started. For a more detailed list, visit here.

At VolunteerSpot, we love sharing stories about people who take on numerous volunteer roles. From classroom volunteer, to coaching the soccer team, to coordinating the local fish fry, it's amazing how many roles we can take on while helping out in our community.

I was the volunteer coordinator for our Church's annual fish fry. Approximately 110 volunteers per week were needed for 7 weeks. We basically ran a mini restaurant, complete with hostesses and cooks. We offered both take out and dine-in service. What other activities are you involved in as a volunteer or volunteer leader?

I frequently volunteer at my children's school. Specifically, I help with fundraising events and video conferencing activities. I am the soccer coach for my child's "Under 8" team and also a Cub Scout leader. I work at a local community hospital managing large projects in addition to identifying new technologies that may be valuable to the organization.

How did you get interested in volunteering?

I love working with children, especially being involved with my own three children's activities and at their school. So helping out is just a natural way to be a part of their lives

What’s one piece of advice you have for parent volunteers out there?

VolunteerSpot allows the volunteer to determine what they want to do, reminds them of their commitment and gives them the opportunity to cancel. It puts the responsibility on the volunteer and takes the weight off the coordinator. Its amazing how an open slot gets grabbed quickly by someone else, its a great way to communicate without phone calls and emails.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

I was looking for a user friendly tool that was not password protected and could identify open positions. VolunteerSpot met my needs exactly. The great thing about VolunteerSpot is that volunteers were able to
review the tasks and choose what they wanted to do. In the prior year,
I spent up to 30 hours placing volunteers into positions and informing
them about what time to be there and what to do. This year, it only
took me a few hours to initially set it up and conduct a weekly review
of those who signed up. I could NEVER go back to the manual route.

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We salute Cindy and all the other volunteer leaders out there working on behalf of our children.If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at VS@volunteerspot.com

Founded in 1925, Myers Park United Methodist Church is located in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina. Myers Park is a vibrant church devoted to serving the spiritual needs of the congregation and reaching out to the hurting around the corner and around the world.

Myers Park United Methodist Church is a very large church with a strong commitment to service in the community. Our members participate in a variety of service opportunities at local agencies throughout the year, including an annual church-wide day of service at over 30 different locations (all on one day!).

How did you get started as a volunteer leader?

I saw a need and offered to help. Now, it’s my job.

What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?

Share your passion with others so they will want to get involved too.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

It is a good tool for scheduling and communicating with volunteers, saving us valuable time on administrative tasks so that we can spend more time on the bigger picture and other details that require more hands-on work.

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We salute Elizabeth and all the other volunteer leaders out there helping those in need. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at VS@volunteerspot.com